The former spokesman of the cult suspected in the 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway was released yesterday and is eager to rejoin his comrades — raising more Y2K terrorism fears in Japan.

“I am going to return to the cult,” Fumihiro Joyu said without elaboration, after ending three years in prison.

Joyu, 37, is expected to become the new leader of the Aum Shinri Kyo, as its founder, Shoko Asahara, is awaiting trial on charges that he masterminded the subway attack that killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000.

The cult has been on the defensive after the Japanese parliament passed laws designed to curb it and all the other cult leaders were jailed.

But Joyu’s release revived fears about the apocalyptic cult members, who are also suspected of carrying out several other murders in the past five years and seeking mass killings as a means of spiritual salvation.

“It’s extremely frightening,” said shop clerk Kanako Kumamoto, 24. “I’m very worried the group will return to its previous terrorist activities.”

As a precaution, trash cans and coin lockers have been removed from Tokyo train stations.

Joyu became familiar to many Japanese when he repeatedly denied that Aum Shinri Kyo — which means Supreme Truth Sect — was involved in the attack.

But the cult recently apologized for the incident, in which five members released sarin gas.

It also promised to stop recruiting new members. But Japan’s Justice Ministry reported last month that the cult is trying to “recover” members who fled the cult after it was stripped of its religious status in 1995.

Aum had 10,000 members then but is believed to have only 2,000 now.

But it has rebounded from bankruptcy, earning $68 million from its personal computer business alone last year, the government said.